Rapid antidepressant effects of the psychedelic ayahuasca in treatment-resistant depression: a randomized placebo-controlled trial
OrthoEvidence Journal (OE Journal) - ACE Report
OE Journal. 2022;10(13):10 Psychol Med. 2019 23-Feb;():. 10.1017/S0033291718001356What this means for my practice?
This study provides evidence that supports the safety and therapeutic value of psychedelics to help treat depression. Specifically, this study shows that a single-dose of ayahuasca has a rapid antidepressant effect compared to placebo. Study limitations were a smaller sample size and a specific population of treatment-resistant patients with a long-course of illness and high comorbid personality disorder. Future studies should be conducted in larger populations with a more broad spectrum of illness in order to extend results to other classes of depression.
Study Summary
Twenty-nine patients with treatment-resistant depression were randomized to receive a single oral dose of ayahuasca containing 0.36 mg/kg of N, N-DMT or placebo in this randomized, double-blind, parallel-arm, placebo-controlled study examining the antidepressant effects of ayahuasca. The primary outcome was change in depression severity assessed by the Hamilton Depression Rating (HAM-D) scale from baseline to follow-up at day 7. The secondary outcome was change in Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) scores from baseline to follow-up at day 1,2, and 7. Results show that ayahuasca had rapid and significant antidepressant effects at all time points compared to placebo. MADRS scores were significantly lower in the ayahuasca group com- pared with placebo at day 1,2 and 7.
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